Effects of an extract of human brain containing growth factor activity on the proliferation of human vascular endothelial cells in primary culture

Abstract

Lesions of vascular human EC [endothelial cell] play an important role in the development of thrombi and atherosclerosis. The factors which control the repair of vascular lesions are not well known. In addition, they are difficult to study because vascular EC from large vessels are fastidious cells to grow in tissue culture. Some of the factors that may be important in human umbilical vein EC growth in primary culture were investigated. Because of reported species differences in EC culture, it was decided to culture human EC only in the presence of biological culture reagents of human origin. Human umbilical vein EC, at low seed density, was grown to confluency on a human FN matrix or on human ECM [extracellular matrix] providing the medium was supplemented with a high concentration (30%) of human sera. The optimal proliferation of EC (even when seeded at clonal density) is obtained if HBE [human brain extract] is added. HBE cannot completely replace serum, but EC proliferated to a similar extent whether they were grown on FN or on ECM in the presence of 30% human serum or 10% human serum plus HBE. Thus, HBE contains a growth factor activity for human EC which stimulates cell growth and DNA replication. Further work is needed to purify HBE and to compare it to other endothelial cell growth factors isolated from bovine brain and bovine eye.